Maintenance worker is killed and five others are injured after a 1,980ft TV station tower collapses in Missouri
- A television station tower in Fordland, Missouri collapsed Thursday morning
- Six workers were replacing crossbeams on the tower when it fell
- They were about 105ft in the air when the 1,980ft structure collapsed
- One man became trapped in the metal and wires and died
- The other five suffered non life-threatening injuries
A television station tower has collapsed in Missouri, killing one and injuring five others.
The sudden fall took place Thursday morning around 10am while six male workers were performing routine maintenance on the tower in Fordland.
One maintenance worker died when the tower fell and he became trapped in the metal and wires, the Logan-Rogersville Fire Protection District said.
The five other workers were also injured with non life-threatening injuries, according to the Springfield News-Leader.
A television tower in Missouri collapsed as six workers were performing routine maintenance on the 1,980ft structure, killing one and injuring the other five
Six male workers were replacing crossbeams on the tower when it fell into a mangle of metal
Courtesy: KYTV
Three have been transported to Springfield for medical evaluation.
A seventh man working in a nearby structure was not injured.
As of Thursday evening the victim's next of kin was pending notification.
The workers were about 105ft up when the 1,980ft tower fell.
Lee Brown, who lives in the area, reported hearing the alarming sound of the tower crashing.
He said it sounded like a 'car crash magnified by 500' and that it lasted for just a few seconds, to the Springfield News-Leader.
The tower is owned by Missouri State University and is used to broadcast KOZK Ozarks Public Television and KSMU Ozarks Public Radio.
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The 1,980ft structure pictured above before the fall. It is owned by Missouri State University
University spokeswoman Andrea Mostyn says the workers were contractors from Washington state and were replacing crossbeams on the tower when it took the unexpected fall.
Around 50 to 60 emergency workers responded to the collapse that took place near the 905 State Highway, Assistant Chief Rob Talburt said.
'It's very lucky that we didn't have more fatalities out here,' Talburt said to the Springfield News-Leader.
He said that the fallen workers were in a 'state of shock' with the accident.
Missouri State University released a statement in light of the accident.
'We are shocked and saddened by the news. Our condolences go out to the victims and their families. We are also providing support and resources to the other team members affected,' the statement said.
The cause of the collapse is under investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and such investigations are completed within six months.
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